New Flatbedder got license today

It was a journey and a good day. By rights his Mama should be in the picture too, I schooled him on driving and flat bedding but she’s the one that got him squared away on the pretrip by drilling him on what they wanted him to say on the pretrip exam. I would fail the pretrip the way they want it done! Hell you can’t even thump the tires, have to tell them you put an air gage on it. Now I take care of my equipment and my tires see a gage on a regular basis but not every pretrip! She really did a good job helping him prepare for that part. I was grandfathered in when the CDL came on line to replace the Chauffers license so I never had to do the test the way they want it done now.

 

Just an update for those that were interested. We’re over 6 months in and so far the only casualty was the boss’s mailbox at his house. Next step for the Kid is coils. Guy we work with will train him to handle them, it’s above my pay grade. Kid is doing well and learning quickly.

 

So that was over a year ago, we have 7 months till he’s eligible to go interstate and the only casualty is still the boss’s mail box. Boss upgraded him from the ratted out Columbia in the picture to the old WalMart Freightshaker I was in and then put him in the 9900i. I wanted the red 9900i. So thought I’d update on how the newbie is doing. His blue 9900 is a 1999. Older than he is! He loves it though. 18 speed 500 hp series 60 Detroit. She’s old but she’s been well maintained and he’s as happy as a pig in ####. My 9900 just has a little old 400 Cummins (tuned a bit) backed up by a 13. Good times! Really cool to roll down the road with him

 

Forgot to put photo in

 

I’ve not been very active lately posting but I have been lurking and reading. Just thought I’d update that today, 7/12/23was the big day for the FNG. He traded in his intrastate license for a big boy full blown interstate CDL. Left out about 1600, Ohio to Hartwell, Georgia on his first interstate run. The only casualty still has been the boss’s mailbox so he’s doing good. If any of you are on I 77 or I 85 and see a confused kid in a blue 9900i, feel free to give him some grief.